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HUTCHINSON, KANSAS, SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 6, 1938 NO. 23 Buhler's As Youth Quarter Stern Grandfather Gives Clue In Deathbed Confession By Fred Henney Buhler--After quarter century of heart.break arid futile acarch, the mystery of the little son of Mrs. Anna Nachtigal' has been solved. Keeping a promise made to a -stricken old man jon his death bed, Mrs. Lena Koop, sister-in-law, has found the missing child.

now a man of 25. Robert Yanke, Follett, oil field worker, learns today tor the first time who he really is. Woven into this true. dramatic story is the virtunl kidnaping A young bride, her isolation In a hospital, the suicide of her husband upon its steps, the removal of her baby, and, AS a tragic finale, the incarceration of the spiritually broken widow in an insane asylum 2,000 miles away. Repents On Death Bed The tragedy came to light when A lonely grandfather, repenting in his dying to find the grandson, cast among strangers, and restore him to his mother.

Jacob Koop, tarmer the Buhler community, was a stern father. He loved his family. But his word was as law. So, when Anna he Koop fell in love and with al man disapproved the futher's authority by ing the man of her choice, the hand, of parental justice tell heavily on unhappy girl, Anna's sweetheart was Petel Nachtigal, a young farm hand. He was poor, but she loved hint.

They were married at 'Syracuse, and soon after located on a tennant farm near Pawnee. Rock. Spirited Away Then came the time when Annal returned home to have her baby. The stern father took Anna away Find Nephew Mrs. Lena Koop, sister-in-law of the heart-broken mother, who thinks she has found missing boy.

(Staff Photo.) to a secret place, and when the young husband sought her where. abouts he was refused information. Other members of the family did not know where Anna had been taken. It was in a hospital in Enid. that Anna's baby was born.

She wanted her husband. She did not understand she really had been kidnaped. She mourned because she thought he did not cAre.I Then one evening, in June, 1913, Pete Nachtigal arrived Enid hospital to get his wife. and child. Someone who knew where Anna was had informed him.

Suicide In Hospital His wife was there and the baby. But strict orders had been him given to the hospital not 10 permit sec them, nor to allow her to leave with him. He was turned from the door. That night they found Pete Nachtigal's body in the hospital had taken his life. same night the child was taken from its mother and the nurses, Her father was determined the child should never ter his home, The the young mother did not know where baby was taken.

From that day to this, according to McPherson Aviator To Explain Miracle McPherson--Herbert Haley, McPherson aviator who swore nobody could ever get him before 811 audience to make a speech, has. gone to Chicago to make a speech there tonight before possibly a million people, Believe it or not. In fact It was Robert Ripley, the "Believe It or Not" man, who induced Haley to make the Haley, who is instructor at the McPherson Flying club is to tell of an adventure that befell him several years ago Concordia, while playing Santa Claus. He Tragic Mystery Taken From Century Ago Is Missing Heir? Robert Yanke, Follett, belleved la be the missing son of Mrs. Anna Nachtical and heir to Jacob Koop's rumored fortune.

With him are his two children. latives, Mrs. Nachtigal -has never seen her child, has never known what became of him. She WAS kept the hospital. After her physical recovery continued to work there.

she did not leave the hospital, port to authorities, raise heaven and carth as most. mothers would, to find her child, nobody understands. Perhaps she was led to think the babe had died." "We do not know all about it." explained Mrs. Lena Koop, the sister-in-law. "Much that took place we never did understand.

It has only been recently that we have learned the story of what took place, and there is much yet Mother To Insane Asylum After a time Jacob Koop left Buhler 'and moved to Reedley, and he took his daughter, Anna, from Enid, to California with him. Broken in spirit, grieving for her husbnnd who she thought had deserted her--for she never knew the real. factsmourning for the babe she perhaps thought had died, her mind gave way. Ten years ago she was incarcerated in an Insane asylum at Stockton, Calif. She is there today.

Jacob Koop, an aged, man, lived alone on his farm near Reedley. One day, he wrote, his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Koop in Buhler, asking that she come to see him, saying' he had something to tell her. To her he confessed the whole tragic story. He told her how he had taken Anna's baby to a family eight miles from Enid.

But that was the last he knew of the boy's whereabouts. Starts Search For Son "We must find that baby," the old man said. "He must know about his mother and she is. We I am sick. find them going to die.

is too late. Promise baby me you will it must before search for him." Mrs. Koop promised. She had little, indeed, to work on. All she was that a baby, first name.

Robert, the son of Mrs. Anna Nachtigal, patient at hospital in Enid, had been taken to a farm home, eight miles from Enid, some 25 years ago, She did not even know the name of the family where the baby had been taken, nor, which direction from Enid. She began her search at the was to make a parachute jump, in his Santa Claus outfit. His parachute opened prematurely, floating off in one direction, while the plane was soaring away in another leaving him dropping in midair, thousands of feet above. the ground.

He. reached for the emergency chute he carried to release it. and him. found It it already trailing behind opened, and saved him. It is said to.

be the only on in record of two parachutes opening rapid succession without the of either being touched. He'll tell the story on the Ripley hour over the NBC network tonight. Solved Parents Found Still Are Seeking Fortune Rumored Left By Jacob Koop den treasure on the Koop premises near Reedley, Calif. The Burled Treasure When Mrs. Lena Koop visited her aged father-in-law some time before his death he told her, when he exacted from her the promise to find his missing grandson, that he had ample means to take care of him.

He showed her a galvanized pipe, which the eccentric old man was using a magnified coin bank, apparently containing gold coins. He told her there was plenty of money hidden where no thief could find it, that he would let know. sometime. where it wos, that his grandson had it: But he never divulged to ber, or anyone else, it seems, where this supposed fortune was concealed. Eighty six years old, he died last March.

With him when he died, and shortly before he passed away, were some of the people of the Mennonite church at Reed- ley. Revealed Through Prayer A letter received by Mr. and Mrs. Koop, in Buhler, B. B.

Reimer, clerk of the Mennonite Brethren church at Reedley, says: "Mrs. Reimer was all alone with him. and while she sat his bedside she where prayed God to reveal to her the money of his could possibly be and the Spirit told her to go and see in the sewing machine drawer. "She looked and found It there: She immediately look it 'to our house and had it kept in the original wrappers deposited in the bank at Reedley." Later, the Mennonite church official added, the pastor of the church was called in, and also officials of the welfare board at Fresno. "Mrs, Reimer.

got some others, and they counted the money, and kept all the original wrappers and immediately deposited the money (in the bank here Reedley." How much there was, the letter did not state. -No reference -was made to finding any other moncy. Nothing was said of the galvanized pipe and its coins. Perhaps that has not been found. There is still much to be unraveled of this strange quartercentury old drama of "The Family of Jacob Koop." Word Was Law Jacob Koop, former Buhler farmer, whose effort a quarter of a ter's century ago to break his daughromance, led to tragic drama of real life that reads Ilke from shallow He plans to irrigate 235 acres this season.

Other Stanton county, farmers, who already have irrigation in operation are M. P. Mohr, tering 40 acres from a shallow well; Charles Winger, pumping from Bear creck; and the Snell farm, with a dam across Bear creek and ditch system. 140 Car Accidenta Reported In Year McPherson -One hundred and forty. automobile accidents were reported to the police during 1937 among which was the first latality to be recorded within the city limits in five years.

Twentyfour persons were injured in the accidents. Dushbowl Washout -Motorists battling dust clouds along US-54 near Montezuma last week detour were because startled of high to find water. a There was a washout and it hadn't rained for weeks, Those who Inquired were told a city water main, leading from the reservoir, had broken, flooding the highway in places. The road was closed until the break could be repaired. Lyons Woman Is Victimized Lets Wichita.

"Occult" Take Her Savings Lyons A Lyons woman, it is disclosed by Sheriff Suttle, has been victimized recently by Wichita "mystic," or mindrender, who borrowed several hundred. dollars from her on the promise to "bless" the money and return it shortly, and then disappeared. The case is made publie by the officer, withholding the name of to spare her embarrassment, for the enlightenment of anyone else who may be tempted to have dealings with this sort of persons. Sheriff Suttle said the Lyons woman had learned about the Wichita mindreader through an Her advertisement first in a Wichita paper. dealing with him her about $50, which he promised to return in the event that things he predicted did not materialize.

Before the time limit of that promise expired, however, he called upon her here and proposed other matters which he claimed to be able to bring about, As a of consequence "something she more gave than him A sum $500." This he was to have taken with him for a week or 50 in order to "bless" it. Then he was to return it, together with $200 of his own money, stitched into a belt. She was to wear this belt for a certain length of time, on the promise that the formula would accomplish the things she desired. When the man. failed to return with the money, the woman notified local authorities, who ily got in touch with Wichita promp- ofters ficers.

The there--in "mystic's" headquarbuilding he said he owned -proved to be only room rented for 30 days. The man. was gone, How. others may have been robbed in a similar manner may never be known, but Wich. ita police advised that the "usual number of disappointed clients" had been trying to find him.

"The Lyons woman," Sheriff Suttle said, "is not in a position to lose so much. In fact, the sum represented most of the cash she possessed." Farmers Invent New Devices For Tillage Bison--Elmer Ficken, farmer near here is inventor of a device for a tillage tool, and has application now. pending for a patent. It is a furrow' damming device which may be attached to a lister. It damns each furrow about every 10 or 15 feet, working automatically and dumping dirt immediately after each filling.

-Harry Peterson, has tillage tool to be attached to a plow, as a moisture conservation implement. The new tool is a curved angle iron 1-8 inches Jong. which he calls a "rooter." As many, of these as are needed, for plow bottoms, are attached to the plow beams. in place of moulds. The point of the "rooter" is hardened for inches.

It is self-sharpened. It will plow at least 500 acres of dry, hard soil without said. "It is so leaves the tertile top soll on top, and the subsoil underneath. with the soil pan and subsoil loosened," Peterson explains. Oldest Building At Larned Sold Larned -What is believed to be the oldest building on the Larned townsite has.

been purchased by John Butler, moved to a site. west of stadium, on a hillside, and is being remodeled for a home. The building was erected more than sixty ycars ago, in the '70s. It was used as a hotel, the Indiana House, in 1878, and was built several years before that, old timers say. New Officers For State Teachers Group Topeka (AP)-The couege and the city superintendent depart.

ments of the Kansas State ars association council of ministration elected 1939 chairmen Saturday, W. J. Williams, Baker university, will head the college partment, succeeding R. C. Hunt, Dodge City: C.

H. Oman, Garnett, succeeds J. L. Engelhardt of Kingman as chairman of the city superintendents. Run Contour Lines Free For Farmers Johnson--Contour lines for Stanton farmers will be run free, through a service being set up by the farm bureau, Levels have been purchased.

Surveyors, assisted by NYA boys, will do the running of the lines Hooker Offered Cheaper Gas To Withdraw Suit City Refuses To Be Forced Out Of Utilities Fight -Because the city council of Hooker refuses to withdraw its case seeking lower gas rates, now pending before the state commission, Hooker must continue to pay 60 cents per thousand feet for gas, while other towns served by the Cimarron -Utilities Co. much cheaper gas. L. J. Roberts, official sot the gas company meeting at a joint session of the city board and the Chamber of Commerce board, said he was authorized to grant Hooker a schedule reduction in rates, the same that Texhoma enjoys, upon two conditions.

They are: First, that the city "refrain from promoting" the 000 gas bonds voted some ago for a municipal gas system. And second, that the suit against company pending before the corporation commission be withdrawn. The city council refused to withdraw the suit, and the gas official said he had no authority to reduce the rate otherwise. The rate offered would be on sliding scale approximating a blanket cut of 14 per cent, Mayor David Winter said, or an average rate of about 53, cents. "It looks as Hooker will be forced to burn 60 cent gas while our neighbors enjoy a much lower rate." commented J.

Henry Shields, editor of the Hooker Advance. Nearly five years ago the state commission ordered the gas com60 to 52 cents. A restraining order pany to lower the rate here from was Since then secured by Hooker the company. citizens have the had to pay the higher rate, but difference, of 8 cents per thousand, has been set aside in escrow settled. until the case is finally The accumulation through the If Hooker the case is decided favor of years amounts to $10,000 or more.

this back to reason the consumers. It is fort this money will revert Mayor Winter said, the the company is trying to force city to withdraw the suit. Auto Owners In Self Defense Forming Units To Fight The "Unfair Taxes" Lakin- protective association is being formed by bile owners and drivers to automotect themselves against alleged prountair taxes and regulations. Rosecrans, of Lakin, is a the member of the advisory board new association, a unit of which is being organized here. The Rosecrans purpose of the organization, (uture gasoline explains, "is to fight and auto taxes and repeal some of the unfair taxes now "The automobile was the the goat back in the years only more fortunate could own one," he added.

"Extra taxes were assessed against owners and drivers because they wer'c able to pay. "That was in the horse and buggy days. Now cars trucks have cannot become a necessity and those who. afford the cost have to pay. excessive taxes." Canton Farmer Dies Canton--Jacob J.

Schmidt, 64. veteran farmer south of here died Friday at Newton, at the home of son, Menno H. Schmidt. The funeral will be held this afternoon at Alexanderwohl church. On Hooker--Just to show it is not a matter of chance, C.

B. Voiles, druggist, announced he was going to make a hole In one, stepped to No. 7 tee at the local course and drove the ball cleanly into the cup. Strikes Relief Official, Fined Woman Who Sought Medicine For Baby May Go To Jail Hays---Mrs. Eugene Denning, 23, wile of a Hays WPA worker has until Feb.

12 to pay a fine and costs of $7.75, or go to jail. A commitment for was issued by Justice of the payment Walter Stanton, but she was given a She week's was grace lined to for get the money. striking John J. Dreiling, county social worker in the face three times after he had refused her an order on a drugstore for 50 cents worth of medicine for her sick baby. "My husband works on the swimming pool, on WPA and gets $34 a month," explained.

"After we rent, lights, and groceries we had just 60 cents left to buy coal. The had a sore throat fever. I had to Ing. 'Don't you have any have medicine." I went to I said no, and the baby would die if I didn't get some medicine. Refuses Aid He sald he couldn't give me the it order, and that he 'couldn't help it the baby "That made me SO mad I hit him.

He grabbed my wrists twisted them and I got loose and hit him twice Dreiling denied he made any remark about the baby dying, and relief explained he could not issue direct to her as long as they were not certifled for direct rellet. "Sets An Example" "We can't give out cash assistance for minor needs until the cases he are declared. investigated and certified," "The state auditors object Dreiling to said he would not have sworn to the complaint against the woman "excepting it sets an example and we might have more trouble of the same kind." Mrs. Denning has two small children and is expecting another soon. Injuries In Wreck Result In Death former Russell--George W.

Hupter, 72. county commissioner. and farmer in the' Bunker Hill comis munity dead at for the more than fifty here years, hospital from injuries received in an automobile accident, His car, into driven by Earl Foster, crashed a culvert. Hupfer's jaw, was cut. broken and his head badly Hupfer was vice president of the Russell County National Farm association.

His wife died 18 years ago. Father And Son Wreck Victims Liberal -C. A. Scaley, of Liberal, Charles his Scaley, and of Two Buttles. son, Joe Jackson.

of Chicago, a nephew, all are. at the hospital at Ponca City, with injuries received in an automobile wreck. The elder Scaley was hurt less than the others. His son has broken shoulder and head and leg injuries; and Jackson, mashed lungs and bad cuts. Town's Only Theatre Quits Business New Bill Part Of Program To Give Farmers Billion More A Year Montezuma 'The Diamond Theatre has closed.

patronage; not paying expenses, explains Manager Cox. As it was the only theatre in drive 20 miles to Cimarron, now or must 30 town. Montezumans miles to Meade to see the movies. to of the administration's striving give the something like year. the harvest season farrm dollar was worth only 88 cents pared with 100 cents in the 1904- com14 period.

vested For instance, farmer who 3,000 bushels. of wheat in the pre-war period recelved an average of 88.1 per cent a bushel, or $2,643 for his crop. This income would have purchased 881 pairs of $3 shoes. The same farmer would have received about 88.7 cents a bushel, or $2,661 for the same amount of grain, last October. Shold Get 13 Per Cent However, a similar palr of shoes, the economists say, would cast at least $3.48 in October.

The farmer would have needed $3.065 from the wheat to get 881 pairs of shoes. In other words, 3,000 bushels of wheat, while netting a larger number of dollars, would have purchased about 116 fewer pairs of shoes than in the pre-war period. Administration leaders say farmers should get per cent of the total national income. In the low depression year percentage shrank to less than 10 per cent, Soaking Rain Might Yet Save Wheat Plants Faith In February Moisture And Row Crop Prospects Enid hospital, But after 25 years there was not much she could learn there. No one around Enid knew Robert Nachtigal.

she A Persistent Hunt She carried advertisements in newspapers throughout Oklahoma and Texas. She wrote letters dressed to Robert Nachtigal to town after town in those states. Letter after letter returned unclaimed. But she kept up the search. And then, a few weeks ago, her persistence was rewarded.

Someone at Enid remembered family near there, named Yanke, had adopted a baby boy. They had moved away, but their boy, now a young man, was working somewhere in the Texas oil fields. The sheriff, and other authoriLies at Enid, at Oklahoma City had helped locate the family and whercabouts the long- missing boy. Located In Texas years ago at Enld. Take Him To His Mother About a week ago Mrs.

Koop received a letter from Robert Yanke, at Follett, Tex. He is married and has two children. He enclosed a photograph of himself and children. In 'a few days Mrs. Koop will attend a conference at Enid, Okla.

Robert Yanke will there, from Texas, Court officials of Oklahoma will be there. The purpose of the conference is to ascertain definitely and establish legally, it possible, that Robert Yanko Is really Robert Nachtigal. Incidentally, the Oklahoma authorities aro trying to find out now, A quarter century later, how such a. terrible thing could have happened as this tragedy of 25 Then Anna Nachtizal's son will be to California, to the stone-walled, iron-barred room where his mother, now nearly 60 years is enduring a living death. Maybe -il's just a hope, but maybe, the restoration of her son to the mother may.

restore her mind. For they say, she has never babe taken from her 25 years ago ceased calling for her baby- the at Enid. But all the mystery of this strange case of Jacob Koop is not yet at' an There's: the matter of what became of the hid- To Irrigate With Bear Creek Floods Manter--Flood waters of Bear: creek, it and when, will be util-! ized in irrigating a large tract farm land in western Stanton county. Cockrum, J. R.

Lambert, Henry Beachel, and M. R. Brakefield are among the farmers preparing to irrigate from the creek. They will catch the overflow water from the outlet pipe of the new dam west of Manter, nearing completion. and will carry it by ditches to the farms.

Cochrum already la doing irrigating of 40 acres by pumping! While there is much concern over the continued drought, farmers and grain men declare the situation is not hopeless and that sonking rains within, the next month would completely change the picture. "Everybody is uncasy, of course. but there can be a big change in things with some soaking rains." insists L. H. Pettit, of the Pettit Grain He said reports.

from over the district indicated the wheat is still all right. It needs only soaking rains. Many farmers In southwest Kansas recall similar dry seasons when the crop early in February looked hopeless. And then came rains and bumper crops. Better Than Year Ago E.

C. Bray, who has large acreage of wheat in southwest Hamilton county, he believes his wheat is in better condition now it was at this time last year. "The big trouble now is to keep the drifting soil from adjoining fields from blowing onto my wheat." he said. He is said to have the largest acreage of any man in Hamilton county, excepting one. Remember Decade Ago Farmers of the southwest have not given up hope, anyway, declares Willard Mayberry, of Liberal.

"We have seen wheat that had been abandoned by the thousands of acres in January come, on to make from 15 to bushels throughout this section," recalls Mayberry, This dry winter Is almost an exact parallel of the winter of ten years ago, Mayberry recalled. "The driest winter on record up to the first of February ushered in an exceedingly rainy spring that was climaxed by the bumper wheat crop of 1928," said Mayberry. "The similarity of the present winter season with that of 1928 gives the farmers here, buffeled new by six successive crop failures, hope." Record Dry Month Charles Wood, who keeps the officlal weather record at Liberal, says this was the first January in many years that no moisture' whatever was recorded there. "Long range predictions." ho said, "indicate that February will have more moisture than the avIt this proves true there is yet a chance that much of the wheat will be saved." H. W.

Clutter, county agent of Finney county, said the farmers there are on the whole not excecdingly discouragedd, even lhough there is a poor prospect a wheat crop there. Hopes For Row Crop "With the expected arrival of nearly half a. million dollars soil conservation money for Finney, county at a time near the spring crop seeding date." he said. "There will probably a vast. acreage of row crop planted this spring if the moisture comes.

"This would be a decided advantage to the country. as 81 row crop, whether or not it produces, a good grain crop, would furnish adequate for the wheat fields next fall." One-Fourth Abandoned Garden Reports from over the territory: City: Between 25 and 50 wheat per cent of Finney county acreage is Of approximately 150,000 acres sowed to wheat last fall in Finney, at least 25 per cent Is beyond redemption. Most of the land where wheat was planted after summer fallow has some subsoil moisture in reserve. Ellinwood: Wheat is fading rapIdly. A lot of it alrcady has succumbed to the wind and drought.

What is left must have moisture soon. Larned: A number of wheat. fields have been blowing badly. Stafford: Prospects for, wheat suffered a sever setback when high lashing winds whipped A sand blast across the fields. The wheat has 8 sparse growth, not anchored any too well.

Tribune: The wheat is holding on. Weather records at the station here show the normal precipitation to date since Jan. 1 is' .24 Inch, with precipitation of .19. or. a deficiency of .05 inch.

Prospect Decreases Daily Cheney: Wheat prospects are decreasing daily. Sandy fields are blowing. Ness City: Top soil is very dry, and dust storms have done some damage to fields in part of the county. No moisture in Ness county in January. Lewis: Another siege of hich winds did considerable damage to the wheat fields around here.

Much ground that had been holding its own before that, began sifting. Belpre: Considerable damage has been done to the wheat fields. Some that have so far withstood strong winds -were damaged for the first time in Tuesday's high wind. Washington (P) the. basis for a new farm bill lies a desire a billion dollars more That is what economists a income should have been added to figure the farm income last year.

to the given the farmer his fair share of have income national for the income, The farm year was 000,000. Agriculture department economists say it should have been $9,520,000,000: They say the prices farmers retoo ceive far for below their the products have been of merchandise and services they level of prices buy. Not. since the 1909-14 pre- war period, have say farm administration leadprices and Industrial prices been on a fairly equal level. Most al the time since that period, industrial prices have been at a higher level than agricultural prices.

Costs Above Receipts During the last harvest season, for example, government economists estimated that the level of prices of goods and services farmers buy was 28 per cent higher than in the pre-war period. The level of furm prices, on the other hand, was estimated: at 12 per cent above the same period. Consequently, the Industrial price level was 16 per cent higher than the farm price level. Translated into buying powerr, Aged Woman Dies Newton-Mrs. Elizabeth 88, is dead after being a patient for weeks at Bethel hospital.

The funeral was heid yesterday afternoon. She lived alone since the death of her son and only Gus Shira, chef at the Murphy I restaurant.